Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 771 - 768: Retaliation in the Future_1

The Crown Prince clenched his fist tightly, nodded his head, and willingly admitted his mistake with utmost respect, "Prime Minister Lu is right! Thus, I am... trying to make amends."

Quan Yu looked at the Crown Prince. He had followed the Crown Prince for many years and had never seen him take responsibility for anyone other than the Emperor and Elder Fang.

He hadn’t expected that this time, for the Princess of Zhen, the Crown Prince would take on such a significant responsibility.

Quan Yu understood that the Crown Prince had remembered Bai Qingyan’s loyalty and righteousness, which was why he was defending her so strongly. Quan Yu let out a long breath of relief, grateful that he hadn’t said anything wrong in front of the Crown Prince, avoiding damaging the Crown Prince’s trust in the Princess of Zhen.

Seeing the Crown Prince repent so earnestly, Prime Minister Lu did not press further. He spoke, "Given the current situation, we cannot worry about whether the court officials are dissatisfied. Everyone in the court knows that the Princess of Zhen fell ill after shielding the Crown Prince from arrows. The Princess joined the army despite her illness, is it not appropriate to dispatch soldiers with her? Can the strong-bodied Li Mingrui compare to the Princess of Zhen? The Crown Prince should not worry about the critics among the officials; he should prioritize the national interest. If anyone dares to criticize, I will be the first to object! Let them come and argue with me first!"

Prime Minister Lu respected the Bai family, but also felt pity for them.

Regardless of gender, the Bai family had a character of firm resolve.

"Prime Minister Lu’s words are very true. Let us report it to the Emperor during the morning court session," said the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince, Prime Minister Lu, Minister of War Shen Jingzhong, Minister of Revenue Chu Zhongxing, and Fan Yuhuai all left the Crown Prince’s residence together to attend the morning court session.

The Crown Prince had prepared a speech, but the Emperor did not attend the morning court session.

The Emperor seemed intent on retreating from worldly concerns. Now that the Crown Prince was governing, military matters were urgent. The Crown Prince immediately ordered the Anping Army to join the Princess of Zhen and follow her command.

Prime Minister Lu, Shen Jingzhong, Chu Zhongxing, and Fan Yuhuai led the support. Even Zhen Zeping seconded the motion. Left Prime Minister Li Mao, though shocked, saw Chu Zhongxing’s signal and quickly agreed.

On August 22nd, the seventeenth year of Xuanjia, the Princess of Zhen, Bai Qingyan, who had been ill for nearly a year and had hovered between life and death several times, donned armor and wielded her sword, leading her troops to war. The Crown Prince of Jin ordered the Anping Camp to join the five thousand Shuoyang soldiers led by the Princess of Zhen. Provisions and medicine were prepared overnight and followed closely behind.

When the court of Liang received the news, everyone was astonished.

The court officials of Daliang saw the old Emperor, who was already showing signs of age and poor health, sitting on the Dragon Throne. They stepped forward, stood in the center of the polished floor of the grand hall, and solemnly saluted the Emperor before saying, "Although the Princess of Zhen of Jin is famous, she is physically weak. Our scouts have reported multiple times this year that the Princess of Zhen is dying. The Crown Prince of Jin forcefully commanded her to return to battle. It appears that our Liang Army’s vigorous assault has indeed overwhelmed Jin, forcing them to send a dying person to face our mighty generals. It seems the so-called God of Slaughter, the Princess of Zhen, will come to Liang only to meet her demise. Your Majesty need not worry!"

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Liang let out a long breath, adjusted his sitting posture, leaned against his cushion, and felt this argument was reasonable.

Zhao Sheng, who had once been captured by the Jin Army and released only after negotiations, gritted his teeth and stepped forward to address the Emperor of Liang, "Your Majesty, besides being incredibly brave, the Princess of Zhen is also a master strategist on the battlefield and should not be underestimated. Although she is physically weak and unfit for battle, she can still provide strategies for the Jin Army. Your Majesty should not forget... it was this same Princess of Zhen along with the current commander Liu Hong, who defeated our Liang Army so decisively!"

"Ha... General Zhao, were you captured by the Jin Army once, and did they take away all your courage?" someone in the court mocked Zhao Sheng.

Zhao Sheng turned to glare at the defiant civil officer, then knelt to salute the Emperor and said, "I request Your Majesty’s permission to lead the Zhao family army to aid in the defense. I have previously faced the Princess of Zhen and was defeated! Now, the vital Qingxi Mountain Pass, our last stronghold, is in the hands of the Jin Army! The Princess of Zhen is already marching towards Qingxi Mountain Pass. If she arrives... reclaiming the pass will require tremendous manpower and resources. I dare to pledge my head on this. If I fail to retake Qingxi Mountain Pass, I will present my head to Your Majesty!"

Zhao Sheng solemnly swore an oath.

Since being defeated and captured by the Jin Army under the command of General Xun Tianzhang, Zhao Sheng had not been employed by the Emperor of Liang. This was his chance. Zhao Sheng was determined to seize this opportunity even at the cost of his life; otherwise, he feared he would never again have the chance to lead troops to battle!

A General who couldn’t lead an army, idling away his days in the capital while drawing a salary, could never live up to his parents’ hopes.

As a General, he should either achieve countless victories like his grandfather or die on the battlefield like General Xun Tianzhang.

Moreover, Qingxi Mountain Pass was Liang’s last stronghold. If Jin captured it, they could march directly into the capital, Hancheng.

The Prime Minister of Liang looked at Zhao Sheng, who was sincerely kowtowing to the Emperor, took a step forward, and addressed the Emperor, "Your Majesty, the Princess of Zhen should not be underestimated. General Zhao Sheng is the only one left among our generals who has fought against her. For safety’s sake... I earnestly request Your Majesty to grant General Zhao permission to lead the Zhao family army to provide reinforcement."

"Your Majesty, our Liang Kingdom is currently afflicted by an epidemic. The officials are helpless, and the national treasury is depleted," the Minister of Revenue hurriedly stepped forward, bowing deeply to the Emperor. "Going to war is easier said than done, but it requires funding and provisions. Now, this epidemic has not been controlled, and even the capital, Hancheng, has cases! I risk my life to advise Your Majesty to set aside personal vengeance and negotiate peace with Jin to obtain the cure. That’s the wisest course! Otherwise, if we continue to fight regardless of the people’s suffering, and the people die from the plague, can we still call it a country?"

The Emperor’s most beloved son was supposed to go to Jin to negotiate peace but was killed by the Jin Army. How could the Emperor not hate them!

In his rush for revenge, the Emperor had ordered the execution of the envoy who came with the cure for the epidemic as a show of his resolve to avenge his son.

"Father Emperor!" The chubby third prince knelt in the grand hall, with sweat beading on his forehead, his body trembling slightly, "Your son dares to request that you temporarily endure the humiliation and set aside the revenge for the fourth brother, to be avenged later! Father Emperor, you are not only the father of the fourth brother but also the father of all the people of Liang. We must still plan for the livelihood of the people of Liang! We cannot forget the innocent lives of the people due to personal grudges!"